Tape-reel.



UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

\VILLIE L. E. KEUFFEL, OF HOBOKEN, NEIV JERSEY.

TAPE-REEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,263, dated March13, 1900. Application filed December 22, 1899. Serial No. 741,221. (Nomodel.)

- a citizen of the United States, and a resident of I-Ioboken, inthe'county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Tape-Reels, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to tape-reels; and its novelty consists in theconstruction and adaptation of the parts, as will be more fullyhereinafter pointed out.

In the tape-reels known to me, where there is a central drum securedwithin a pair of retaining-frames, the drum is apt to be cut bythe'narrow bearing-surface afforded by the side of the frame. Moreover,in such reels where the drum is provided with an externally-hingedfolding crank a common disadvantage has been the difficulty of unfoldingthe crank without using a tool or splitting the finger-nail. A thirddisadvantage hasbeen the soldering of the drum-plates, the connectionthus formed being expensive and unreliable.

In my invention I have aimed to overcome the difficulties stated byproviding a broad bearing-surface for the drum without lessening thesurface around which the tape is wound by making my crank in such amanner as to project beyond the outer edge of the drum to permit of itbeing readily seized and unfolded and by securing the drum-platestogether in an efficient and economical manner.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved tape-reel,showing the tape wound thereon and the crank folded in place. Fig. 2 isa section of the same on the plane of the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, the tapebeing omitted. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the external drum-plates,and Fig. 4 a side view thereof. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the internaldrumplate, and Fig. 6 is a side viewthereof and of the connecting-post.Fig. 7 is a plan view of the crank. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the otherexternal drum-plate, and Fig. 9 is a side view thereof.

In the drawings, f is the frame, consisting of two spiders united byrivet-posts f, which keep them apart the proper distance. A handle fenables the user of the tape to hold it easily when paying it out orwinding it up.'

Each spider is provided with a central circular aperture the peripheryof which is provided with an outwardly-projecting flange f made integralwith the spider and made smooth on its external edge. Seated within andbetween the spiders and mounted upon the flanges f as a bearing is adrum upon which the'tape is wound. This drum consists of threeplates-two external plates (1 and a and an internal plate 6, unitedtogether in a manner presently to be described.

The external drum-plate 01 consists of a fiat disk d, externally beveledand provided near its inner periphery with an internally-projectingannularflange (1 The disk d is provided with two apertures-one, (1 toadmit of the insertion of the crank c, and the other, (1 to permit ofthe passage of the crank-handle c. The annular flange d is provided withan aperture 01 to admit of the insertion of the end of the tape t.Portions of its surface are struck out and pressed inward, forming lugsd which are adapted to hold the internal plate I) in place. Anotherportion of its surface is also struck out and pressed inward to form aspring'd adapted to press against the crank-handle c, and thus preventits accidental displacement.

The external drum-plate aconsists also of a flat disk a,externallybeveled and provided near its inner periphery with aninternally-projecting annular flange a The disk a is provided with acentral aperture to permit of the passage of the screw 8. The flange ais provided with an aperture a made by striking out a portion of itssurface and turning in a part of it to form two ears a, adapted toengage with and overlap the edges of the aperture d of the drum-plate d.

The internal drum-plate?) is a flat disk having a portion of its surfacecut away at b to permit of the passage of the crank-handle c and asecond portion cut away to permit of the passage of the end of the crankc, a part of its surface being upturned to form cars 5 which areperforated at b to permit of the insertion of the pintle c of the crankc.

A post p is secured at one extremity to the inner surface of the plateb,'and being internally threaded at its other extremity is adapted toreceive the screw 3. The crank c is formed of a plate of metal suitablyshaped and provided with a handle 0 and a pintle c It is made so as toproject beyond the edge of the drum-plate d. The tape t is provided witha hook or similar means of being secured within the drum and with ahandle 6 in the usual manner.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a tape-reelaframe consisting of two spiders secured together by any suitable means,each spider being provided with a central circular aperture theperiphery of which is provided with an outwardly projecting flange madeintegral with the spider, the two flanges 0n the spiders forming a broadbearing for the tape-drum placed within them.

2. In a tape-reel, a tape-drum consisting of three plates, two externalplates each provided with inwardly projecting annular flanges and aninternal plate, the internal plate being secured to one external plateby an axial post and screw and to the other external plate by struck-upperipheral lugs projecting from its annular flange.

3. In a tape-reel, an internal drum-plate provided with an axial postadapted'to be secured to one external drum-plate, and with struck-upears adapted to form bearings for the crank-pintle and projectingthrough asuitable aperture in the second external drumplate, the twoexternal drum-plates'being provided with inwardly-projecting annularflanges.

4:. In a tape-reel, the combination with a frame made of two spiders andmeans for holding them firmly apart, of a tape-drum consisting of threeplates, two external plates each provided with inwardly-projecting an-WILLIE L. E. KEUFFEL.

lVitnesses:

H. H. STUTZ, OSCAR WIENER.

